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The nutritional profile of freekeh, an ancient Middle Eastern grain, packs a punch, rivaling even powerhouse carbohydrates like quinoa.

The comedian called the reality star a "serial scammer" with no soul.

The comedian called the reality star a "serial scammer" with no soul.

In 2025, 66% of homes in the city sold above their asking price, with 63% fewer homes for sale than there were pre-pandemic, pushing up demand, according to Zillow.

Explorers discovered an unknown island in Antarctica in what was long-misidentified as the "danger zone."

The secondary ticket market for a Knicks Finals game has some eye-popping prices just for a chance to see these Knicks try to snap the franchise's 53-year championship drought.

Aaron Boone said the Yankees “hit a stretch where we didn’t swing the bats great” before the Mets series, when he “thought we played really well.”

Heart-stopping footage captured the moment a plane smashed through a paraglider’s canopy midair, sending a woman spiraling through the sky screaming.

Resident Floats Surefire Way Of Getting Potholes And Trash Cleaned Up In Shithole LA...

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Los Angeles residents have had enough of living in a crumbling, graffiti-covered wasteland where basic services have collapsed under years of Democrat mismanagement.

In a display of pure ingenuity, citizens are fighting back by tagging over blighted areas with "Vote Pratt," betting that Mayor Karen Bass will rush to erase any sign of support for her political rival far faster than she addresses the endless decay.

This clever workaround shines a harsh light on the priorities in a city drowning in filth, where open drug markets and rat-infested encampments flourish while taxpayers foot the bill for billions in ineffective "solutions."

Not AI. pic.twitter.com/jUJhkGnjo7

- Thomas Hawk (@thomashawk) May 24, 2026

pic.twitter.com/mLQhnVnWQS

- Make L.A. Great Again ?? (@lalovestrump) May 23, 2026

The idea took off after one resident pointed out the obvious: if neighborhoods are blanketed in graffiti that the city ignores, simply spray "Vote Pratt" over it and watch the cleanup crews mobilize within minutes.

One post noted, "This could possibly do the trick," while others highlighted how quickly political messaging gets scrubbed compared to everyday blight.

I just took this photo today at Runyon Canyon ? "Spencer Pratt for Mayor" had been covered up a few time but someone just writes it again. pic.twitter.com/jjZyFe0y8n

- Freddie Corso ? (@freddiecorso) May 24, 2026

Videos and images circulating on X show the extent of the problem and the creative response, with AI-generated visuals encouraging more residents to test the theory.

pic.twitter.com/uPZDmJ1Gp9

- D Scott Dorgan (@DScottDorgan) May 23, 2026

The same tactic could target potholes, now mockingly dubbed "Bass-holes" due to the mayor's reluctance to release funds for basic road repairs.

pic.twitter.com/pV9OAhoUJJ

- HowlingPeterman (parody) (@JacoboPeterman) May 23, 2026

? Great idea! pic.twitter.com/kYYy3IXVlZ

- Oddland66 ?? (@Oddland66) May 23, 2026

The citizen hack represents more than a workaround - it exposes the deep dysfunction where political optics trump governance. In a city blessed with resources and climate, decades of open-border-friendly policies, soft-on-crime approaches, and unchecked spending have produced predictable decay.

This grassroots push to elect Pratt comes as no surprise to anyone following LA's descent. Just days ago, reports painted a grim picture of massive homeless encampments overrun by rats, open-air drug markets operating brazenly near police stations, and public spaces rendered unusable by tents, trash, and crime.

Helicopter footage has captured post offices swallowed by encampments, blocking mail access and parking. Residents describe navigating urine-soaked doorways blocked by belongings just to enter their own apartments, with police unwilling or unable to intervene under current policies.

Despite California dumping an estimated $24 billion into homelessness programs between 2018 and 2023 - with LA spending hundreds of millions annually - the results are nonexistent. The county reports around 72,000 homeless individuals, many unsheltered, with over half originating from out of state, according to critics of the system.

One man who moved to California openly admitted the appeal: easy access to food stamps, cash assistance, and a lifestyle where "they pay you to be homeless." These incentives have created what detractors call a Homeless Industrial Complex - a self-perpetuating system of nonprofits and bureaucrats motivated to manage the crisis rather than solve it.

EXPOSED ? California Democrats are paying people to be homeless

Homeless man moved across country to California to be homeless

"How long you been in San Francisco?"

Homeless man "Since June. If you're gonna be homeless, it's pretty f*cking easy here. I mean, if we're gonna be... pic.twitter.com/X7j9ut09pm

- Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) May 20, 2026

Mayor Karen Bass has come under fire for broken promises to end street homelessness. When confronted on CNN about missed targets, she cited unanticipated "bureaucratic barriers." In another exchange, she advised residents not to trust their own eyes but official statistics instead, despite visible evidence to the contrary.

? LMAO! CNN brutally rips Karen Bass for the homeless crisis in Los Angeles.

CNN: "Your goal was to end street homelessness in LA by 2026. It's now 2026. We haven't ended it, and we're not close. How are you so off?"

BASS: "When I said that...I didn't realize the bureaucratic... pic.twitter.com/DD3fJcKQu6

- The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) May 20, 2026

Enter Spencer Pratt, the mayoral candidate whose name is now central to this cleanup hack. Pratt has called for a no-nonsense approach: a short grace period after taking office followed by mass enforcement against crime, open drug use, and disorder. He has emphasized clearing streets and involving homeless individuals directly in cleanup efforts rather than feeding another layer of bureaucracy.

? JUST IN: LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt announces Los Angeles criminals and homeless degenerates will have 2-3 WEEKS after he gets into office before MASS ARRESTS ensue

"First 3 weeks: signups, no nakedness, no drug use, no robbing, no dog abuse."

Love this guy MORE AND... pic.twitter.com/exoqW3j28e

- Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 10, 2026

Real change requires rejecting the failed ideologies that enabled this mess: endless tolerance for lawlessness, incentives that import problems, and a bureaucracy that thrives on failure.

Tyler Durden Sun, 05/24/2026 - 14:00

The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte is one of the signature races of the NASCAR schedule.

A rep for GKN Aerospace said there have been no reported injuries and that the company remains focused on cooperating with emergency officials.

The Australian model and the "All of the Lights" rapper were spotted leaving the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles early Sunday morning.

The Australian model and the "All of the Lights" rapper were spotted leaving the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles early Sunday morning.

Trump Bats Down Critics As Iran Deal Gets Close: 'Exact Opposite' Of 'Amateur' Obama JCPOA

Update(1345ET): Both sides are continuing to be mostly tight-lipped in terms of offering confirmation of what precisely is in the deal, with President Trump having earlier said he's in no hurry. But this weekend contains some of the most positive momentum towards an actual peace deal and extended ceasefire to date. Per some of the latest from NYT:

Iran’s leaders or official state media have not publicly commented on what is in any potential agreement or what is being discussed. Over the last 24 hours, Iranian and U.S. officials have offered some conflicting depictions of what a deal might contain. On Sunday, the U.S. official said a deal had not yet been signed and was still subject to final approval from President Trump and Iran’s supreme leader, which could take days.

The senior U.S. official said the mechanism by which Iran would dispose of its highly enriched uranium was still being negotiated. Mr. Trump has insisted that the United States seize the material as part of his vow to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

Mr. Trump said in a social media post earlier on Sunday that he had ordered his negotiators “not to rush into a deal,” after saying a day earlier that a preliminary agreement between the two countries was “largely negotiated.”

But Trump is catching some political heat both at home and in Israel, for potentially agreeing to a deal which cedes too much ground to Tehran - or at least that's the growing criticism of the hawks. He issued the below Truth Social on Sunday, seeking to bat down this criticism, and once again asserting his deal will the the EXACT OPPOSITE of Obama's JCPOA. But time will soon tell...

Trump also shared this statement from Fox's correspondent. Tehran has remained insistent that it will never transport its enriched uranium outside it borders:

Not quite yet at the goal line, per Reuters:

Iranian media: There is still a possibility of canceling the agreement due to Washington's obstruction of some clauses

— First Squawk (@FirstSquawk) May 24, 2026

*  *  *

Top U.S. and Iranian officials signaled they are inching closer to an initial peace deal to wind down the U.S.-Iran conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though major details remain murky, especially around the future of Iran's nuclear program.

President Trump said the peace deal has been "largely negotiated" and will be announced "shortly," with the reopening of the Hormuz chokepoint among its key components.

🚨 "An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed..." - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/Z49bOkkUoh

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 23, 2026

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that "significant progress" has been made, but no final deal has been reached.

Rubio added that the world could learn "over the next few hours" about progress on resolving the shipping disruption at the Hormuz chokepoint.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited 'significant' progress in the past 48 hours toward a deal with Iran that could help resolve the situation around the Strait of Hormuz https://t.co/AgaPjulhKo pic.twitter.com/QwFObVmuhv

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 24, 2026

The proposed deal aims to reopen Hormuz, end or pause fighting across multiple fronts, and restart tanker flows through the strait, as the world is dangerously close to an energy cliff. If disrupted for another month, this could spark even more severe economic trouble for the global economy.

Iranian officials said the deal would also lift the U.S. naval blockade, halt fighting involving Israel and Hezbollah, reopen Hormuz without tolls, and release $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

The biggest unresolved issue is Iran's nuclear program. U.S. officials said the framework includes a commitment by Tehran to give up enriched uranium, though the mechanism for that commitment would be negotiated later.

However, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency dismissed Trump's claim of an imminent deal as "far from reality."

Fars reported that, under the latest text exchanged, management of Hormuz would "remain exclusively under the authority and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran" if a deal is reached.

Earlier, Fars reported that Iran's nuclear program, blocked funds, and the status of Hormuz remained "serious points of disagreement" in talks with the U.S.

Iran had indicated that a final draft of the deal was under review.

Iranian state television cited Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei as saying, "Over the past week, the process has been moving toward a convergence of views."

Latest Headline Round-Up

Peace Deal Progress

• Trump said Saturday that a peace deal with Iran has been 'largely negotiated' and he plans to announce an agreement shortly that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday there may be 'some good news' regarding the blocked Strait of Hormuz in the coming hours

• Pakistan's military cited 'encouraging progress towards a final understanding' after intensive negotiations over the last 24 hours

• Iran and the US are still at odds over 'one or two provisions' of a potential peace agreement, according to Tasnim news agency

Peace Deal Terms

• The agreement involves a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, and Iran would be able to freely sell oil, according to a U.S. official

• A draft agreement stipulates that the US and its allies commit not to attack Iran or its allies under any circumstances, with Iran making a similar commitment, according to Fars news agency

• Iran's nuclear program, blocked funds and the status of the Strait of Hormuz are 'serious points of disagreement' in talks, according to Fars News

Regional Involvement

• Several Arab nations joined Pakistan in trying to push for a resolution to the Iran war as they urged Trump to allow more time for negotiations

• Pakistan's Prime Minister congratulated Trump on his 'extraordinary efforts to pursue peace' after a phone call involving leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan and Pakistan

• President Trump's Iran deal will ensure the US military stays in the region for at least the next 30 days, per Fox News.

Macro Impact

• US forces have redirected 100 commercial vessels during its six-week-long blockade of Iran's ports, according to Central Command

• A liquefied natural gas tanker carrying a shipment for India has exited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the Iran war began months ago

• The European Central Bank is heading for an interest-rate increase next month unless a sustainable peace deal between the US and Iran can be found, according to the ECB's Martin Kocher

Polymarket

Odds of Hormuz traffic returning to normal by the end of June stand at 61%.

//--> //--> Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by end of June?
Yes 62% · No 39%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

The US-Iran permanent peace deal, as of May 26, stands at 35%.

//--> //--> US x Iran permanent peace deal by May 26, 2026?
Yes 35% · No 65%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

WTI and Brent crude oil prices crashed on Hyperliquid (via Augur Infinity):

S&P500 soars on Hyperliquid (via Augur Infinity):

Bitcoin's chart continues to trend higher, with price action on an "up and to the right" trajectory.

Must Reads:

• If Iran Imposes A Permanent Toll On Hormuz, Who Will Start Charging Next: Deep Dive Inside The World's Oil Chokepoints

• Hormuz Shock Raises Recession Risk As Retailers Sound Alarm On Consumer Stress

Why the US needed an urgent peace deal, as explained by UBS:

• UBS Warns Of "Scary" Oil Price Scenarios Once Inventory Buffers Run Dry

Friday's US-Iran Wrap

• Iran Says 'No Deal' Will Materialize If US Insists On Enriched Uranium Handover

Saturday's US-Iran Wrap

• Israel Unleashes New Gaza Strikes Soon After Trump Says Iran Peace Deal 'Largely Negotiated,' Hormuz To Reopen As Final Terms Discussed

Professional subscribers can review the latest institutional reads on Iran, the Hormuz Strait, energy markets, and more on our new Marketdesk.ai portal.

Tyler Durden Sun, 05/24/2026 - 13:45

In case you need to make that last-minute (rainy) run.

Suicide Bomb Attack On Train In Pakistan Kills At Least 30, Over 100 Wounded

A massive suicide car bomb attack blew up and derailed a train transporting security personnel in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.

The blast ripped through the train passenger cars, killing at least 30 people and leaving more than 100 others wounded, with the casualty count expected to rise as rescuers dig through the twisted metal.

via AFP

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group operating in the mineral-rich region, immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's coordinated strike.

Local officials and police told international outlets that at least three coaches and the engine had derailed after the explosion. Security forces have cordoned off the whole area amid ongoing search and rescue efforts.

The completely overturned and were immediately engulfed in massive flames. Authorities have condemned the heinous act of terrorism.

Soon after the attack, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X to condemn the carnage: "Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan," Sharif stated.

"We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," he added.

While Islamabad promises total elimination of the threat, the reality on the ground has long been of an insurgency capable of hitting high-value military logistics lines at will.

One source said that the "The blast occurred near a railway track as a train carrying Pakistani security personnel and civilians was travelling near Quetta’s cantonment area, according to officials and media reports." And so it seems the terror group knew that large numbers of military and security personnel would be coming through.

Over a year ago, there was a major hijacking of a train carrying 346 passengers in the same region, in March 2025. That attack resulted in the deaths of at least 21 passengers and at least four Pakistani soldiers involved in the security response.

Death toll expected to climb:

A suicide attack in Quetta, Pakistan, has killed at least 34 people and injured 82 others. The blast struck a train, with gunfire heard nearby. Vehicles were damaged and windows of surrounding buildings were shattered. pic.twitter.com/1Rcu0cc7Mu

— World Source News (@Worldsource24) May 24, 2026

As we've featured before, the Baloch Conflict owes its origins to Balochistan’s contentious incorporation into Pakistan but has evolved in recent years to take on shades of "resource nationalism". What’s meant by this is that some locals believe that their resource-rich region, the largest in Pakistan at nearly half the country’s size, isn’t receiving its fair share of wealth.

The BLA and its supporters also accuse Pakistan of selling the region out to China. Pakistan denies these claims and has always blamed Afghanistan and India for the conflict.

Tyler Durden Sun, 05/24/2026 - 13:25

The Spurs have now lost two straight to the reigning champion Thunder and can ill afford to fall behind 3-1 in the Western Conference finals. 

Here's when the next episode premieres on MGM+.

The two-time All-Star McNeil did not have a ton of room to work with, but nonetheless went for the ball as he wound up flipping over the wall.

UAE State Oil Company Head Says Hormuz Bypass Pipeline Nearly 50 Percent Complete

Authored by Evgenia Filimianova via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The head of the UAE's state oil company said on May 20 that a major new oil pipeline designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz is nearly 50 percent complete, as regional tensions and competing maritime controls reshape global energy routes.

UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who's also the managing director and group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, speaks via video during a presentation at the 44th annual CERAWeek by S&P Global conference at the Americas Hilton-Houston in Texas on March 23, 2026. CERAWeek by S&P Global

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, said during an interview at the Atlantic Council that the project is being accelerated toward a planned 2027 completion date.

"Right now, too much of the world's energy still moves through too few choke points," Al Jaber said. "That is exactly why the UAE made the decision more than a decade ago to invest in infrastructure that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz."

Al Jaber said the UAE's second west-east pipeline is already "almost 50 percent complete."

The project comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted following months of conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

The UAE said last week that it would accelerate construction of the pipeline to expand export capacity through Fujairah, a port city on the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz.

The country's existing Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, also known as the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, already allows the UAE to bypass Hormuz for a portion of its exports.

The new project is expected to significantly expand that capacity.

Al Jaber warned that global energy systems remain vulnerable because too much oil and gas infrastructure depends on narrow maritime chokepoints.

"Energy security is no longer just about your ability to continue to produce," he said. "It is about routes, access, storage, and redundancy."

He said global spare oil production capacity remains dangerously low while energy storage levels continue falling.

"In just two months, the world drew down around 250 million barrels from storage," Al Jaber said. "We have 30 to 35 days of effective cover. We need to at least double that."

The comments followed warnings from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that oil markets could enter a "red zone" this summer if disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said on May 21 that more than 14 million barrels of oil per day had been removed from global markets because of infrastructure damage and restrictions linked to the conflict.

UAE Moves Beyond OPEC

The pipeline expansion also comes weeks after the UAE formally exited OPEC and the broader OPEC+ alliance.

The UAE announced on April 28 that it would leave the organization effective May 1, describing the move as a "sovereign responsibility in a new energy age."

Al Jaber said the decision would give the UAE greater flexibility to expand production and invest globally.

"Ultimately, real strength is not measured by the abundance of resources, but by how they are harnessed to serve the nation," he said.

The UAE said ongoing instability in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz influenced the decision.

"Outside OPEC, the UAE will remain what it has always been, a disciplined, responsible, credible, reliable, and a stabilizing force in the global energy markets," said Al Jaber.

He also described relations between the UAE and the United States as increasingly integrated across energy, infrastructure, defense, and technology sectors.

Iran Expands Strait Oversight

The pipeline expansion coincides with Iran's efforts to formalize oversight of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran announced in May the creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, or PGSA, a new body tasked with supervising transit through the waterway and coordinating shipping permissions inside Iranian-designated control zones.

The PGSA said on May 20 that Iran had defined a maritime supervision area stretching from Kuh Mobarak in southeastern Iran to the southern coast of Fujairah in the UAE on the eastern side of the strait, and from Qeshm Island to Umm al-Quwain in the UAE on the western side.

The authority also said vessels operating within that area must coordinate transit frequencies and obtain permits from Iranian authorities before crossing the waterway.

Iranian Ambassador to France Mohammad Amin Nejad told Bloomberg on May 21 that Tehran and Oman are discussing a permanent tolling system for the strait.

Zones Of Control

The Iranian supervision zone appears to overlap at least partially with areas where U.S. naval forces are operating under Washington's blockade targeting Iranian ports.

U.S. Central Command said in an April 12 statement that American forces would blockade vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports beginning April 13.

It said the blockade applies to ships traveling to or from Iranian ports in both the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, while stating that U.S. forces would "not impede freedom of navigation" for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian destinations.

Iran's newly declared PGSA supervision zone covers much of the same shipping corridor through which U.S. naval forces monitor and intercept commercial traffic linked to Iranian ports.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 21 that an Iranian tolling system would be unacceptable and warned it could derail negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

"It would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible," Rubio told reporters before departing for NATO meetings in Sweden.

Rubio described the proposed toll system as a "threat to the world" and "completely illegal."

Rubio said after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 22 that Western allies hope to reach an agreement with Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

He warned, however, that governments also need contingency plans if Iran refuses to restore maritime access.

Rubio said that if Iran continues restricting passage or threatens vessels that refuse to comply with Iranian demands, "something has to be done about it."

Several countries represented at the NATO meeting, he said, would be even more affected by prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz than the United States because of their dependence on Middle Eastern energy supplies.

Rubio added that NATO members must begin preparing for scenarios in which "Iran decides, 'We don't care, we're going to keep the Straits closed.'"

Motorists drive past an ADNOC Gas subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on March 3, 2026. Ryan Lim/AFP via Getty Images Tyler Durden Sun, 05/24/2026 - 12:50